"Black history is American history," is a popular phrase used by a multitude of people seeking to legitimate Black history to the general population. The motto is usually a two-fold response to concerns about the disregard of Black history. First, "Black history is American history" is used to criticize (and in some cases…

The building of historical thinking skills has historically been a lonely endeavor for AP U.S. history teachers. Many often generate their own pedagogy, perhaps modified from an AP workshop or generally gleaned from released exam essay questions. However, as currently scheduled, in 2014, the AP U.S. history exam will undergo a redesign that will…

Explores a definition of religious literacy; examines the role of religion in U.S. history; and reviews the side effect of neglecting religious history. Examines approaches that integrate religious events and ideas into the existing curriculum. Lists primary source documents. (DH)

Describes a course on the Vietnam War presented by the author to 19 secondary school teachers. The course sought to increase competency in teaching about the war by using readings, lectures, and guest speakers. Concludes that the course was a success because participants encouraged others in their departments to include the topic in their…

Discusses the use of primary sources in teaching about the Vietnam War. The approach encourages student questioning and discussion of issues surrounding the war. Urges educators to be certain that students know and understand the reasons for the war and not just repeat the rhetoric. (Author/GEA)

In a recent poll that asked American adults to identify "the single most significant event that has happened in their lifetime, in terms of its importance to the U.S. and the world," 46 percent of the respondents cited the attacks of September 11, 2001, as the most significant occurrence in their lifetime. In light of this result, it is not…

Maintains that, in spite of many problems, American history is still a viable subject. Recommends that recent emphasis on special social studies skills and inquiry techniques should not allow Americans to lose sight of their collective past. (DB)

Discusses two approaches for teaching labor studies at the elementary secondary levels: elective courses and the infusion of labor topics into existing curricula. Sources of classroom materials are listed. (AM)

Describes a course taught to U.S. Air Force officers at Air University in Alabama. Discusses special problems confronted when teaching veterans of the war and new officers looking for answers. Maintains that studies of the war should look beyond "lessons learned" to search for the processes of policy analysis which will enable the nation…

Notes the decrease in programs and courses on women's studies at the high school level and attributes this decrease to the national drive for educational reform. Provides an overview of recent efforts to increase teaching about women's history, and includes an introduction to the theme articles in this issue of SOCIAL EDUCATION. (JDH)

This article illustrates changes in the thinking which have occurred over the past 15 years about how to incorporate women into the discipline of history. It identifies five different phases of feminist scholarship and illustrates how women's studies have influenced the author's and other teachers' thinking about history. (JDH)

This article presents an alternative structure for social studies. The structure is based on studying people as grouped by culture rather than by political boundaries. Provides an example of how the cultural grouping might change a standard United States history course. (JDH)

The problems and advantages of using museums, environmental education centers, and community groups for teaching about the Bicentennial are examined. (JR)

Traces the development of "The Lessons of the Vietnam War," a set of units which cover legal, cultural, and historical questions of the war in greater depth than do survey textbooks. Examples of the 12 topics are "Introduction to Vietnam: Land, Culture, and History" and "Taking Sides: The War at Home." (GEA)

Describes process-oriented curriculum which places students in role of creating their own history and assists them in transferring their knowledge and insight from personal to societal level. Curriculum is build around set of Historically Accurate Fictional Family Identity (HAFFI) cards which provide life scripts for 35 families representing major…